Archaeology
of a
San Francisco Neighborhood

This Web site was funded
by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

It was created by Anthropological
Studies Center (ASC).

Telling the Story

The archaeologist pulls together many different strands
to tell the story of Privy 507 and the people whose household artifacts
it contains. Historical research paints a picture of the privy’s surrounds
in San
Francisco in the 1870s. It also provides valuable details of the Peel
family: who they were, how many children they had, what type of house
they lived in, perhaps even how well off they were. The archaeologist
uses historical research to help understand the patterns in the stratigraphy
and artifacts of Privy 507. With an understanding of Privy 507 and the
Peel family in the early 1870s, the archaeologist can then compare the
artifact collection with archaeological collections associated
with other families, tenant buildings, businesses and industries in
the neighborhood.

Slowly, a detailed story emerges as to the types of people
who lived and worked in the neighborhood, how they made their way through
life, and how the neighborhood itself changed over time. From the excavation
of individual archaeological features, archaeologists build a detailed
understanding of how complex communities functioned in the nineteenth
century cities of America.

The mass of information produced by archaeological excavations
is presented in various ways. Technical reports
detail the project’s methods and illustrate and describe each archaeological
feature excavated. These reports allow other archaeologists to assess
the value of the research. Articles are published in journals and presentations
are given at conferences. Reports, presentations and journal articles
however are often written for other archaeologists to read. Archaeologists
face the challenge of translating these often dry technical reports
and presentations into interesting forms for non-archaeologists. Books,
posters, pamphlets, videos and websites are amongst the ways archaeologists
convey not only their insights, but also the excitement of discovery
and history to non-archaeologists.